The Greatest Chapter
by ToriWhitten
Summary: Now is the time for heroes; now Humanity’s greatest chapter can be told. A story following one girl as she struggles with the path of a Warlock. Rating may change with following chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – I do not own Warcraft – If I did I would be rich, but I'm not so I don't!

All characters, locations, etc, etc © Blizzard Entertainment

Rating may change as story progresses

.

.

.

**The Greatest Chapter**

.

Chapter 1

.

.

**The noble Humans of Stormwind are a proud, tenacious race. Though the recent invasion of the demonic Burning Legion decimated their sister kingdom of Lordaeron, the defenders of Stormwind stand vigilant against any who would threaten the sanctity of their lands. **

**Nestled in the foothills of Elwynn Forest, Stormwind City is one of the last bastions of Human power in the world. Ruled by the child-king Anduin Wrynn, the people of Stormwind remain steadfast in their commitment to the Grand Alliance. Backed by their stalwart allies, the armies of Stormwind have been called away to fight the savage Horde on distant battlefields. **

**With the armies gone, the defense of Stormwind now falls to its proud citizens. You must defend the kingdom against the foul mongrels that encroach upon it and hunt down the subversive traitors who seek to destroy it from within. **

**Now is the time for heroes; now Humanity's greatest chapter can be told. **

.

.

.

Pinning her hair up from her neck, Arienya surveyed herself in the mirror. She was shaking from nervous excitement making the sleeves of her dress twitch. It was a lightweight wool dress in a soft green that made her hair look like it was on fire. It was loose enough that no one would notice the breeches she wore underneath but tight enough that it still flattered her curves.

With not a little effort, she concentrated on smoothing the crease from in between her eyebrows. Finally happy with her appearance, Arienya made her way down the stairs to the small kitchen, her nose leading her to breakfast.

Her mother stood by the counter under the window. Setting down the pot she had been holding, she turned to look at daughter.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie. How did you sleep?"

"I didn't get that much," came the reply.

A hand clapped down on her shoulder from behind making Arienya jump.

"I know your looking forward to all of this but it won't be a good idea to fall off your pony from tiredness. Now eat up!"

Smiling at her father, Arienya moved to sit at the scrubbed table. Her mother placed the bowls in front of them and sat across the table. Looking down at the porridge dotted with dried fruits, she realized she wasn't hungry. Her mother raised an eyebrow, pulling a funny face – they both giggled and started to eat.

.

Arienya practically flew out of the backdoor and across the garden, soft leather boots making hardly a sound. Stood before her was her pony, dwarfed by her fathers old warhorse, tacked up and ready to go. After a few quick farewells, they were on their way to Goldshire to spend a night at the inn before winding on to Northshire Abbey.

Ever since she was a small child, Arienya had poured over books and pictures of the Abbey. Her parents had told her that it was a haven compared to the hustle and bustle of Stormwind. A place which people from all walks of life passed through, you could always find someone to test your skills against or to teach you something new. Now, finally, her parents had agreed to let her visit on her 17th birthday … accompanied by her father, of course.

.

Pushing her way through the doors of the smokey tavern, Arienya sought out the innkeeper. He was positioned near the bar at the back of the inn, having an argument with what she assumed was a dwarf. Seconds later the dwarf shoved past her and out the door, muttering under his breath in a deep, lilting voice.

Trying to keep the nervousness from her face, she approached the innkeeper. Her father was stabling the horses so it was her job to sort out the rooms.

"Excuse me, Sir?" she tried.

"Yes lass, what can I do for yer?" he turned to face her, sweeping his grizzly mane off his face.

"My-my farther sent for reservations three days ago. It was for t-two small rooms – name of Whitmere."

The innkeeper turned to his ledger on the bar, ginning as she stumbled her words.

"Right y'are lassie, all done – here'r yer keys. Room 4 and 7, straight in front of each other, top o' the stairs."

Arienya nodded at the man and thanked him, turning to her father who was carrying the bags through the door.

.

After a light breakfast of cured ham steak, honeyed bread and the best dwarven mild she'd ever tasted, they were finally at the walls of Northshire. The large arched gateway and high stone walls were guarded by, who she assumed to be men, in plate armour, some in the blue tabard of Stormwind, others in the red of Northshire. Through the gates and past the barracks was the Abbey itself.

Arienya's breath caught in her throat as she drank in the view. The sun was reflecting off the stained glass windows, brightening the colours and highlighting the facets of the images. Deep chuckling to her left brought her out of her reverie.

"Glad you came?"

"Oh Dad, it's fantastic – it's so ..." she paused, trying to find the right words, "peaceful!"

This brought more laughter.

"It hasn't always been, the walls we passed were built for defense and have been well used!"

Slowly moving the horses on, they began down the gentle slope towards the Abbey, admiring the well kept gardens surrounding it.

.

Approaching the large door that marked the entrance to the Abbey itself, they dismounted to be met by a guard in Northshire colours.

"Whitmere, we're here to see the Abbott," her father said.

"Very well," came the reply as the guard motioned for two pages to take the horses, "follow me, your things will be brought to your room's."

They walked through the large oak doors into a small hallway that branched off in many directions.

"The Abbott is currently occupied but he will be available shortly, in the meantime make yourselves comfy."

They were shown into a large room filled with benches and tables, a small fire was burning down in a grate on the far side of the room. There were only a handful of people dotted around the room, each keeping themselves to themselves.

"Derin?" a deep voice echoed from across the room, "Derin Whitmere? Is that you old chap? By the Light, it is!"

A stout man with an imposing beer gut trundled across the room, his tanned, weather beaten face surround be a mane of untamed hair.

"Reyan Stantmon, you old imp! How are you?"

Arienya's father moved towards the man, Reyan, grasping his hand like an old friend.

"What brings you here?"

Turning, her father motioned towards her.

"Reyan, this is my daughter, Arienya. Ari, this is Reyan Stantmon. We served in the same unit years ago, trained together too."

"Aye! Your dad saved this arm, mind you – lost two fingers before he did," grinning he waved his left hand for effect, and pressed on, "So Derin, you reproduced, will she be following the Light?"

"That's a choice she will have to make when she feels ready, but I would like to hope so."

He flashed a wide grin towards Arienya who smiled back weakly. She didn't have the heart to mention that she was interested in powers much more substantial than what the Light had offer. She knew her father was to proud to even entertain the idea of Magecraft compared against his precious Light!

They made their way to a corner of the room opposite the fireplace, where a barrel of mead stood on end. Sensing the alcohol induced ramblings that would follow, Arienya excused herself to explore the grounds.

.

She was sitting by some flower beds, replaying the conversation over and over again. Her mind reeled at the thought of having to choose the Light over the kind of life she wanted, but what choice did she have? A sudden voice behind her startled her out of her daze.

"May I?"

"Uh... y-yes, of course," Arienya stammered, caught off guard.

The stranger walked around the stone bench and took a seat, pulling out the skirts of her robe as she sat. Arienya couldn't help but stare as she noted the appearance of the woman next to her. Her robes were dark red pulled in by a silver plate belt. Her dark hair was pulled back behind one ear while the other side fell down, covering one hazel eye. The woman radiated power and, if she was quite honest, Arienya felt a little bit afraid.

"You look..." the stranger stopped, thinking on her choice of words,"put outabout something. Are you not enjoying your visit?"

Arienya stared, mouth agape.

"How do you know I'm visiting?"

"I blend well with shadows," she smiled, it was warm and friendly and made Arienya relax slightly,"I over heard your father, in fact I think the whole Abbey may have heard him. Am I right to assume that it was something that was said that has made you feel … put out?"

_Who is this woman_, Arienya thought, _is she some kind of psychic?_

"Umm... I just don't like people making assumptions about my path in life before I have even chosen it."

"I see. You do not wish to follow your fathers path with the Light, no?"

"I don't think so, I'm not sure, I like magic, I like it a lot, I just don't like hitting at things. I think I'm better suited to something that doesn't involve whacking at things."

The lady smiled at Arienya's innocent ramblings.

"You feel you would be better suited to a life with Magecraft, maybe?" she ventured.

"Yes, I suppose, though maybe not a Mage specifically. There are others. My mother for example was a Priest but I feel that might be to tame for me."

"Perhaps, although I have met Priests of all specializations, some are more powerful than most Mages - particularly those who study shadow magic."

"See, that interests me. Shadow magic I mean. That gets me excited – swords and sticks just don't!"

To Arienya's surprise the lady burst into a huge grin, making her appear years younger.

"In which case, child, I must introduce myself. I am Drusilla La Salle. I am here as a trainer to others of my craft who pass through. I am a Warlock."

Arienya's eyebrows rose as Drusilla continued.

"We Warlocks differ from Mages in several ways, yet are very similar in others. We specialize in shadow damage, can summon pets and demons for protection and can inflict prolonged curses on those who wish us harm. Unfortunately we cannot change our opponents into sheep or penguins – only the Mages can do that one."

If Arienya's eyebrows could have risen any higher they would have disappeared into her hair. She was shocked and awed by what she heard and wanted to know more.

.

.

3 day's later, Arienya was sat on her bedroom floor unpacking her saddle bags. She should have done it yesterday, when they arrived back home but she was so exhausted from the ride that she had toppled straight into bed.

All the information she had gained, all the excitement was still rushing through her. She had probed Drusilla for more information on her craft and had received some very satisfying answers. Drusilla, or 'Dru' as she preferred to be known, had tested Arienya's mana capabilities, told her more of the Warlocks history and lore and had not only told of but had shown Arienya powers and spells she could only dream of mastering. She had learned of Imps and Voidwalkers and hoped that one day she would summon her own.

Despite knowing the wishes of her parents, she fervently believed this was the path she wished to follow, this was where her life was leading her. She vowed to herself that on her 18th birthday she would return to Northshire to begin her training as a Warlock.

.

.

.

R/R please ^^*

~*Tori*~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – I do not own Warcraft – If I did I would be rich, but I'm not so I don't!

All characters, locations, etc, etc © Blizzard Entertainment

Rating may change as story progresses

.

.

.

**The Greatest Chapter**

.

Chapter 2

.

.

**The noble Humans of Stormwind are a proud, tenacious race. Though the recent invasion of the demonic Burning Legion decimated their sister kingdom of Lordaeron, the defenders of Stormwind stand vigilant against any who would threaten the sanctity of their lands. **

**Nestled in the foothills of Elwynn Forest, Stormwind City is one of the last bastions of Human power in the world. Ruled by the child-king Anduin Wrynn, the people of Stormwind remain steadfast in their commitment to the Grand Alliance. Backed by their stalwart allies, the armies of Stormwind have been called away to fight the savage Horde on distant battlefields. **

**With the armies gone, the defence of Stormwind now falls to its proud citizens. You must defend the kingdom against the foul mongrels that encroach upon it and hunt down the subversive traitors who seek to destroy it from within. **

**Now is the time for heroes; now Humanity's greatest chapter can be told. **

.

.

.

It had been six months since Arienya ran away from home and began her training as a Warlock of the Alliance. Under the ever watchful eye of trainer Drusilla LaSalle, she was making quick progress in her craft – proving herself as a talented and adept student. In the short time she had spent at Northshire Abbey, Dru had decided she had gathered enough skill to start testing herself on moving objects.

It was a clear morning in early March, frost still carpeting the rolling lawns, as Arienya was picking her way around the side of the Abbey. Rose, the resident cook, had mentioned to Drusilla earlier in the week that a problem had arisen to the west of the Abbeys borders regarding wolves. A couple of lads, local to the Brotherhoods lands had thought it a good idea to breed some wolves for meat. While their plan had worked initially, they had – through some warped twist of fate – crates a pack of wolves which not only reproduced twice as quickly as their normal relatives but had all the aggression of rabbits. It was a small mercy that they were not attacking the people of Northshire but their rapid breeding had forced the packs to expand into the Abbeys lands.

Rose had said that Eagan Peltskinner in particular was most upset at their appearance – although he did regard them as a new winter cloak. Even Rose herself had expressed an interest in some of the wolf meat for the pantry.

So here she was, on a chilly march morning, looking for this Eagan guy, expecting to be told to go kill a bunch of harmless wolves.

Folding her arms across her robe, Arienya stomped around the corner of the Abbey deciding that if she didn't find him soon – she was going to give up. Unfortunately for her cold hands and feet he was crouched around the corner, busying himself with a flower bed.

"Eagan Peltskinner?"

"That would be me," came the gruff reply.

"Err... Drusilla sent me, told me you had a wolf problem."

Eagan's mouth twitched up as though he was going to smile but thought better of it.

"Aye, their coming in across the borders. It'd be a great help if you could rid me of a dozen or so. If you feel up to it, that is."

Arienya shot him an indignant scowl, of course she could handle it. Having found the nerve he was looking for, Eagan directed her to where the wolves were. He knew pride was strong amongst trainees at the Abbey and often used this to his advantage. He knew they would not back off a challenge.

Trudging west, Arienya started to run through her spells in her head. Her Shadowbolt had improved drastically and she had managed a few basic curses. Her hand moved to her him, playing with the pommel of her dagger. She didn't want to use it but she knew better than to discount it completely – it was always good to have a back up.

Snuffling in the distance brought her back to her task. The noise was moving closer and closer and she was sure it was her target. Flattening herself up against a tree, Arienya moved her head slightly to get a better view of the other side. She was greeted with a bushy tail, grey with white flecks. The wolf had its head in the undergrowth, clearly looking for its lunch.

Gathering the energy needed for the spell, she focused on building a ball of shadow in the palm of her hand. While she had mastered the spell enough for it to be useful, it still brought a sheen of sweat to her top lip with the effort.

Deciding the ball of dark energy in her hand would do enough damage, she pushed it outwards, sending it flying towards the wolf with black and green trails of light left in its wake. The impact knocked the wolf back but it was on its feet in seconds – teeth bared and advancing on her.

_So much for docile like rabbits_, she thought as she built up another bolt in her hand.

The wolf was drawing closer, lowering its head with glistening eyes. Just as it released into its jump, Arienya let the next bolt fly, knocking it back in mid air.

It hit the ground dead – no whimper – nothing.

Several emotions hit Arienya at once. Guilt that she had killed a living creature. Anticipation that it had all ended so quickly. Relief that it **had** ended and she was alright. But overwhelming all of those emotions was a glowing sense of pride – she had done it – she had used the powers she had been trained for. She was still standing alive – not dead on the floor. She had won!

Grinning like child, she collected herself and walked forwards, ready to see what the next wolf would bring to the fight.

.

.

.

The sun was hanging low in the sky as he made her way back across the Abbeys lands. Having turned in the meat and skins to Eagan Peltskinner, she was on her way to find rose with some of the meat she had collected.

While she was at home, her mother (an accomplished Skinner) had taught her the basics of skinning and preparing a few animals for cooking, While she could never call herself a Skinner – she knew enough to keep herself and others well fed.

Rose was sat on a high stool just inside the door to the kitchens, slicing beans into a bowl. The cooks ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps in the doorway but she did not look up.

"Dinner'll be another half hour at least. Yer'll have to wait."

"I've come to bring you food, not to eat it!"

At this, Rose spun in her chair and hopped down to the floor. In seconds she had closed the distance between Arienya and herself.

"Why didn't you say so, girl! Come here, what's this then?"

Arienya had to laugh outright as she followed the cook through the kitchen to the pantry. Rose promptly relieved her of the sacks of neat and, despite being a head shorter than Arienya, dragged them across the kitchens floor. The excitement of free food for the Abbeys kitchen seemed to offset Rose's struggle with the weight as she jiggled around. Opening sacks and fetching pots of salt.

.

.

.

It had been three days since she had faced the wolves and she was itching for more to do. Dru had told her to pace herself, take things slowly – but taking things slowly was the last thing on her mind.

She had heard from some guards that Marshal McBride had a few jobs for trainees. So armed with that news, Arienya began a long trek around the Abbey – **trying** to find him.

Apparently the must have missed each others paths because he appeared to be standing in the entrance hallway when she passed it for the third time. She jogged towards him, hoping to catch his attention before him and his bald head disappeared again.

He told her of a problem around the old mines to the north, involving 'Kobolds' who had taken to mining there – forcing the humans out. Arienya couldn't be sure she'd kept a straight face through his stoic rambling – she thought the light just bounced of his head in such a peculiar way.

.

High in spirits and feeling very useful she set off up north. Apparently it was a half hour walk north east when you hit the trees. Half an hour after passing those trees, Arienya was confronted with a very odd sight. Little rat-like creatures, standing upright, were teeming around the mine. They had little canvas packs on their backs and candles secured to their heads. They made Arienya's stomach turn, they were disgusting – bristly and strange. They grunted and snuffled around their fires, trading things they'd dug up between them.

She had been asked to get rid of eight of these creatures as a minimum, she could take on more but McBride doubted she would have the energy at her level.

Moving around the trees as quietly as possible, she took note of the stragglers moving at the edges of the camps. Placing her back against a tree, she took aim at a particularly grubby Kobold, sending her energy flying forward. The miner turned immediately and ran for her swinging a stout little pick axe. Arienya managed to land two good hits before he reached her. Her fourth attack was stunted as the Kobold landed a blow to her side.

It knocked the breath out of her, momentarily taking her concentration away from her spell. She let the bolt fly straight into his chest before clutching for the dagger at her waist. As he came at her again, she brought the pommel down just before the candle, knocking him unconscious. She let one more bolt go towards his unmoving body before checking to see that the pulse had gone.

McBride had said that she could keep whatever she found on the beasts. Arienya removed the pack and dragged the bristly Kobold into the nearby undergrowth. Rummaging through she found three copper coins and a nasty, chewed up pair of breeches. She pocketed the money and vowed to flog the breeches as cloth when she got back to the vendors that were set up near the Abbey.

.

.

.

R/R please ^^*

Sorry for the length of this chapter – the next ones are more involved. I promise!

~*Tori*~


End file.
